Climbing structure



Get. 23 1923. 1,471,465

' s. HINTON Filed July 22, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 23 1923.

SlflNTON CLIMBING STRUCTURE Filed July 22, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ienthusiastically take,

Patented Got. 23, 1923.

UNW'EE STATEfi rarer SEBASTIAN HINTON, OF WINNETKA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORTO JUNGLEGYM, INC., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CLIMBING STRUCTURE. P

Application filed July 22,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SEBASTIAN HINTON, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Winnetka, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ClimbingStructures, of which the following is a specification. A

This invention relates to playground apparatus and particularly to theclass thereof known as climbing apparatus.

As exercise for children, climbing has in it conspicuous-features ofadvantage. It is an exercise wherein all the muscles of the whole bodyare .used. Again the exercise consists in lifting and moving the bodythus the effort is graduated to the size and strength of the body andthe tendency of a body, so exercised, is to approach the proper weightand proportionate development of its parts. Climbing is the naturalmethod of locomotion which the evolutionary predecessors of the humanrace were designed to practice, and is therefore almost ideally suitedfor children.

For quadrupeds, runningi an exercise of practically all the bodymuscles, evenly and properly developing both the fore and hind legs andtheir associated muscles-for children probably only climbing andswimming can give the conresponding beneficial effect.

Again and importantly, the monkey instinct strong in all human beingsand perhaps more clearly displayed in children, makes climbing a sportto which children by a psychology about the same as that of a kitten atplay with a ball, which of course is practice for hunting. The playinstinct of animals in general is that which tends best to develop theparticular type of bodies with which they are provided, in the mostsymmetrical and beneficial manner.

The facilities for climbing available to the average child {are limited,and generally speaking somewhat dangerous.

With these theories and facts in mind, I have designed a climbingapparatus, so

- proportioned and constructed that it provides a kind of forest topthrough which a troop of children may 'play in a manner somewhat similarto that of a troop of monkeys through the tree tops in a jungle. At thesame time I have reduced the danger 1920. Serial No. 398,178.

of climbing to a practicable minimum.

In the drawings which represent an illustrative form of the apparatus:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a climbing frame.

Fig. 2 is a cross section thereof on, the l1ne-2-2 of Fig.1,

Fig. 8 is a 'topplan view thereof, 1

Figs. 4, 5 and 6, are detail el evationsv Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11illustrate various types of joints used in different of the apparatus.

The structure is exceedingly simple and comprises three series ofclimbing bars, a series 1 arranged vertically, a series 2 arrangedhorizontally, and a series 3 arranged horizontally at right angles toseries 2, each series extending the full length of the structure.

From inspection of the drawings it will be noted that the structure ismade of a large number of individual cubes, in each of which theelements 1 form the four vertical cube elements and the elements 2- and3 likewise form the horizontal elements.

There is thus provided a structure wherein children can climb in anydirection, and

portions size or proportions.

In the construction of the illustrative form of the apparatus hereinshown, the one vertical and the two horizontal series of elements aremade up of short lengths of pipe as clearly seen in the drawings andstandard pipe fittings are employed toconnect these short lengthstogether.

Thus the bars 1, 2, and 3 are cutto length, oppositely threaded pipe. onthe corner edges of the structure, a standard angle cross (see Fig. 10)is employed. For the four corner-angles of the top a standard three waycoupling 5 is employed. At the bottom corner angles angle crosses 4: areemployed, in which are secured the downwardly extending pipe lengths 6adapted to be set into concrete 7 to support the structure. structure,five way mouplings may be employed, and within the surface of thestructure six way couplings 8 are used, all couplings being oppositelythreaded.

' which obviously can be made of any desired For the joints 4 Upon thesurface of the Thus by the use of standard out to length pipe andstandard couplings the entire structure shown in the drawings may bebuilt up. It is of course understood that any other type of coupling maybe substituted for convenience in erection.

In order that children may be able to travel easily in any directionthrough the climbing structure, it is necessary that the distancebetween the various elements be suitably proportioned.

For convenience, in the illustrative structure, I have made the verticaldistance between successive elements the same as the horizontaldistance. The particular illustrative structure is adapted for theaverage child of about eight years old. Assuming such a child to beforty-eight inches in height, and that the distance from the ground tohis hips is twenty-four inches and the distance from his hips to hishead another twenty-four inches, all such measurements being of courseapproximate, I have made the length of an edge of the unit twenty-fourinches, and the structure herein shown would be 20 x 16 feet in plan and8 feet high.

In Figs. 4, 5 and .6 is illustrated the ease with which a child cantraverse the structure in any direction.

After mounting upwardly the child steps dia onally across a unit cube,(see Fig. 4)

from a horizontal bar at the lower left corner (3 to the bar in thelayer next above at the upper right corner (3) of the unit cube. He caneasily reach with either hand bar 5" above the one to which he isstepping, and can also assist himself by pushing on the pipe 3 with theother hand as shown in Fig. 4:. This for a child of approximatelyforty-eight inches in height and assuming the unit cube to betwenty-four inches on its side, makes an easy climb, but neverthelessone which exercises the arm and shoulder muscles as well as the legmuscles.

If the child wishes to climb vertically without moving out of a singlevertical series of cubes, he of course can climb in zig zag or spiralfashion or in a number of other ways, all fairly easy for an activechild.

To make horizontal progress through the structure, the methods shown inFigs. 5 and 6, as well as a number of other methods, may be practiced.Thus in Fig. 5 is illustrated how the child may easily spring from bar3* to a sitting position on bar 3 and thereafter'swinging over andducking under bar 3 assume the position of Fig. 6 wherein he has justabout reached the position of 3 inv the next unit cube on the samehorizontal level as the one in which he previously was standing.

He can also, assuming he is standing on pipe 3*, crouch and duck underpipe 3 and walk in this fashion along a single horizontal series ofpipes.

Since the child has always immediately adjacent his grasp four verticaland at least four horizontal pipes and can steady himself in almost anyposition, crouching or otherwise and obtain new holds easily, he cantraverse the structure in a number of other ways and the particular onesherein specified; but I believe it to be of advantage to have theproportions in the structure such as to permit an easy diagonal climb,such as shown in Fig. 4, and at the same time permit the child to passeasily by crouching through the side of a unit cube.

Of course an endless number of variations in the structure may beemployed. Thus for instance a series of horizontal pipe lengths'may beomitted, leaving an alley or gangway, down which more rapid progress maybe made: certain of the units may be made smaller than others andarranged in various positions to permit for instance a ladder climb in asingle plane, to be effected at various points throughout the structureand these ladder climbs may be placed at the ends of the gangways. It isat once obvious that an almost infinite variety of arrangements of thischaracter may be designed with the idea of varying the travel throughthe structure and making it possible to go faster vertically orhorizontally in certain paths. These variations would contribute greatlyto making a game of tag in the structure more interesting. It is ofcourse impossible to illustrate any representative number of thevariations as they will be immediately apparent.

The provision, however, of a climbing structure made up of individualunits so as to permit a group of children to play through the structurein any direction and thereby for instance play what might be termedthree dimensional tag, I believe to be novel and provision of such astructure fabricated out of cut to length pipe and proper fittings is animportant feature of the invention as it provides for almost in finiteVariations in the size and shape of the structure and in its interiorconstruction. as well as addition thereto from time to time. Thusthestructure could be made to surround three sides of a swimming pool;climbing and swimming form a most attractive combination of sports tochildren.

Since as previously stated the child has practically Within his grasp atall times a large number of firm supports, both vertically andhorizontally. there is little or no danger of falling. Thus if a childhas mounted high enough in the structure so that a fall would beserious, he would have a fall vertically down through a well ofsubstantial depth without catching any one of the manv lfl l IanVertical and horizontal pipe lengths, as he falls, before he couldsuffer serious injury. In order to make the construction doubly safe,however, I have provided at the bottom of each vertical well a. pair ofcross ropes 9 which may be secured in the center by a knot 10. Theseropes are provided with loops 11 at their ends into which the verticalpipe lengths l are inserted in building up the structure. For additionalprotection, the outside of the structure if made of' substantial heightmay be covered with. fence wire, so that no child could fall off theedge thereof.

In assembling the structure the pipe lengths comprising the end arefirst properly located in a concrete foundation 7, as many thereof beingused as necessary, as for instance one support at eachsecond joint ineach direction over the bottom of the structure. Thereafter thestructure is assembled piece by piece.

Having described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A climbing structure for playgrounds or the like, comprising a seriesof uprights, two series of cross members, mutually crossed and arrangedat different levels, all of strong construction, all so proportioned,constructed and combined that children may climb in the interior of saidstructure over three successive climbing bars in any single direc tion,said members being so spaced that an average child of predetermined agemay straddle adjacent horizontal members.

2. A climbing structure for playgrounds or the like, comprising a seriesof uprights, two series of cross members all secured together in astrong construction, said cross members being mutually crossed andarranged at difi'erentlevels; all so proportioned, constructed andcombined that children may climb about freely in the interior of saidstructure, said members being so spaced that an average child ofpredetermined age may straddle adjacent horizontal members, and climbfrom one horizontal member to the next above it.

3. A climbing structure for playgrounds or the like, comprising a seriesof uprights, two series of climbing elements secured together in astrong construction, said climbing elements being mutually crossed andarranged at different levels, whereby children may climb in the interiorof said structure in three dimensions, said members being so spaced thatan average child of predetermined age may straddle adjacent climbingelements; climb from one climbing element to the next above it, andplace his feet simultaneously upon a first climbing element on one leveland a second climbing bar on thenext level mot immediately above thefirst member.

two series of climbing elements mutually crossed and arranged atdifferent levels, all secured together in a strong construction, wherebychildren may climb in the interior .of said structure in threedimensions, said element on one level and a second element on the nextlevel not immediately above the first member, meanwhile holding with hishands a third element on the next level above that of the secondelement.

-5. A climbing structure for playgrounds or the like comprisingmultiples of adjoining single climbing units each comprising rigidlysupported bars extending in three dimensions, the distance between theadjacent bars, permitting passage for an average child of predeterminedage.

6. climbing structure for playgrounds or the like comprising bars ofsuitable size to be grasped by the hand as in climbing, said barsarranged to outline adjacent quadrilateral units in vertical andhorizontal succession the diagonal between parallel edges of said unitsbeing of a length adaptable to be spanned by the legs of an aver-agechild of predetermined age and the space between adjacent paralleledges, of said cubes being adapted to permit easy passage of the body ofsaid child in crouched position.

7. A climbing structure for playgrounds or the like comprising bars ofsuitable size to be grasped by the hand as in climbing, said barsarranged to outline adjacent quadrilateral. units in vertical andhorizontal succession, the space between adj acen-t par allel edges ofsuch cubes being substantially equal to the length of the leg of anaverage child of predetermined age.

8. A climbing structure for playgrounds or the like comprising bars ofsuitable size to be grasped by the hand as in climbing, said barsarranged to outline adjacent quadrilateral cellular units in verticaland horizontal succession, the space between adjacent parallel edges ofsuch cubes; being substantially equal to the length of the leg of anaverage child of predetermined age, certain of said bars in horizontalsuccession being omitted to provide enlarged passage ways through thestructure.

9. As a playground apparatus, a cellular climbing structure of strongconstruction having cells in vertical and horizontal-succession andcomprising vertical supports and horizontal climbing elements soproportioned, constructed and combined as to permit an average child ofpredetermined age to make a diagonal climb fromone climbing element tothe next one above it in an adjacent vertical plane.

Mill) are 10. As a playground apparatus, a cellular climbing structureof strong construction having cells in vertical and horizontalsuccession and comprising vertical supports and horizontal climbingelements rigidly secured thereto, and so constructed, proportioned andcombined as to permit an average child of predetermined age to make adiagonal cTimb from one climbing element to the next one above it'in anadjacent vertical plane, and to permit the bar above that to which theclimb is made to be grasped by the hands during the climb.

11. As a playground apparatus, a cellular climbing structure, comprisingsupports and horizontal climbing elements secured together, arranged topermit climbing through a pluralitycf successivecels in any directionelectively from a plurality of points Within the structure, saidstructure being "fabricated out of pipe and couplings, so proportionedas to be used by children in play.

12. A playground apparatus comprising a cellular climbing structure madeup of a plurality oi adjacent cells in vertical and horizontalsuccession, bounded by climbing elements, said structure beingfabricated out o-t pipe and couplings secured together, all soproportioned as to afford children an opportunity to climb in anydirection.

13. As a playground apparatus, a cellular climbing structure made up ofa large numberof ce'ls in vertical and horizontal succession,approximately two feet on a side bounded by vertical and horizontalclimbing elements, and so proportioned, constructed and arranged as topermit an average child of predetermined age to per- :t'orm a diagonalclimb through a plurality of cells in the interior of the structure.

14. A playground apparatus comprising a celul-ar climbing structurecomprising rights and climbing bars supported thereby, arranged inadjacent outline cells, and having a plurality of said cells in bothhorizontal and vertical succession, all so proportioned and constructedthat children climb electivey in three dimensions from points Within thestructure. w

15. A playground apparatus 03E stron and rigid construction formed ofuprigns and climbing bars arranged in a cellul construction formed ofoutline cells having a plurality of cells in vertical suc cession and inhorizontal succession in two directions whereby children may clinioabout :t'reely Within the st ructure.

16. A playground structure comprising plurality of series of outlinecellular associated together, said units being def ned by climbingelements and uprights and associated together in horizontal and vesuccession, whereby a child may climb one element to the next above itin an a jacent vertical plane.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 20th day of July,A, D},

